Apparatus for automatically lighting and extinguishing lamps



(No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. P. GANSTER.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING LAMPS.

No. 248,644. Patented Oct. 25,1881.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. P. GANSTER.

No. 248,844. Patented Oct. 25,1881.

WT'JEEEEE N PETERS. Pholo-Lnhogmphcr. Washmglon. n. c.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING LAMPS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

G. P. GANSTER.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING LAMPS.

No. 248,644. Patented Oct. 25,1881.

N. PETERS. Photo LI 7. \Vashngicn. D. c.

Nrrno STATES Arena. Fara.

GEORGE P. GANSTER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAN- STER AUTOMATIC LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING COMPANY, OF BOS- TON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,644, dated October 25, 1881.

Application filed January 22, 1881. (No model.) Patented in England October 25, 1880.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE PETER GAN- STER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Automatically Lighting and Extinguishing Street-Lam ps and Analogous Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

to My invention relates to improvements in means for lighting or extinguishing or raising and suppressing the flame mechanically. I maintain a small flame separate from the main burner and carefully shielded from being extinguished by accidentduring the entireday, or such period as the light is not required. At a stated hour the cook or valve is opened, and allows gas or gaseous combustible to flow out from the main burner. The jet being ignited 2 from the small flame yields a broad light until the proper time arrives, when the mechanism shuts off the flow from the main burner again.

In carryingout myinvention Iemploy aclockwork mechanism to control the determination of the. periods required for these movements, composed of proper wheels and connections, with a suitable escapement. The clock-Work is wound up by the current of air which rises from the flame While the main burner is lighted.

o Thecurrentofairrising from theflame at night, or while the main burner is operating, is quite strong. I arrange in the top of the lamp a light metallic screw having a number of blades, and connect this,by means of a jointed shaft or 5 rod capable of adjustment, with the spring winding mechanism of the clock-work. I utilize the force thus obtained to not only drive the clock-work While the main burner is serving, but also, by accumulating power in the spring,

to run the clock and mechanismduring the longest days. The upper part of the shaft of the metallic screw is formed or provided with a box or receiver capable of holding glycerine, oil, powdered graphite, or other suitable anti- 5 friction material. The upper surface or top of this box is provided with a central circular aperture adapted to hold and guide a centering pivot or projection supported by arms carried by a removable casing held in position by springs or equivalent means.

[can employ ordinary gas as applied totown and villages, or I can employ gaseous products or coinbustibles obtained from gasoline, light petroleum, or analogous volatile hydrocarbons.

The accompanying drawings form a part of 5 this'speciflcation and represent what Iconsider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a street-lamp with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2v is a sectional plan of the upper part of the lamp, showing the operating-screw. Fig. 3 is a front view of the clock-work and burners, with the outer case of the clock-work removed. Fig. 4 is a similar back view. Figs.

5 and 6 are opposite side views of the cloclrwork and burner, with the casing removed so as to show the mechanism. Fig. 7 is a de tailed view of the burners and parts immediately connected therewith, partly in section. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the main gas-valve. Fig. 9 1s a sectional view of the upper portion of the shaft D and a part of the screw-wheel D, and so much of two of the radial arms 0 as will illustrate the construction and operation of my improved bearing for the shaft D.

Similarletters of reterenceindicate likeparts in all the figures.

A is the fixed frame-work of an ordinary street-lamp supported by a frame, B, attached to the upper end of a post, B, in the usual 8o manner. The bottom A of the lamp is provided with suitable apertures for the introduction of air without allowing the flame to be much affected by gales of wind. The top A has mounted on and projecting slightly below it. a cylindrical tube or passage, A above which is supported a compound cap, A, of usual construction.

Within the tube A I arrange a cylindrical casing, G, provided with radial arms, 0, supo porting a centering pin or bearing, 0, adapted to pass down through a circular opening, 61 in the top, d ofa box, D formed on or affixed to the upper end of a shaft, D. This box D is adapted to receive glycerine, oil, powdered 5 graphite, or other suitable anti-friction mate- 'stem t" of the main burner I.

rial. My improved box D is adapted to reliably guide the shaft and fan-wheel, while it efficiently lubricates the pin 0 and prevents dust and other foreign matter from clogging the free revolution of the fan-wheel. The top. d, is pressed into the main portion of the box D and there retained by the edges 61 turned over the edges of the top, as shown in Fig. 9. This bearing, however, forms the subject-matter of a separate application for patent. The cylindrical casing O is suspended and held in position by spring-clips c passing over the top of, or otherwise secured to, the tube A The shaft D is formed in two parts, old, the part (1, by preference, sliding within thepart d for the purpose of adjustment, but held rigidly in position, when adjusted, by means of a setserew, (P. The lower end of the shaft D is provided with a female bearing adapted to rest on the upper end of a shaft,E, provided with a male bearing. The lower end of the shaft D is also furnished with a fork, d the prongs of which are adapted to operate against the opposite sides of the two opposite ends of a cross-pin, 6, carried by the shaft E, which communicates motion to the winding mechanism of the clock, as hereinafter explained.

F is a casing suitably formed to iuclose the clock mechanism, and it also supports the main burner I, subsidiary burner J, shield K, (shown in Fig. 1 and by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4,) and the parts immediately connected therewith. The casing F is supported in position in the lamp by means of the gas-inlet pipe F, which is screwed to the upper end of the gassupply pipe B passing up through the post B.

The gas is supplied to the apparatus by means of the inlet F. It then passes by means of the semicircular pipefto the chamber G, through the center of which is formed or applied a gastightbearing, f, adapted to receive a shaft, H, to the upper end of which is applied a rotary valve, h, provided with passages h and operatingin conjunction with a fixed seat,f having passages f corresponding in relative position with the passages h in the valve h, so that by imparting one-quarter revolution to the valve h the passages h therein may be broughtiu or out of position to allow or prevent the passage of the gas through the passages f in the seat f to the chamber into which is screwed the The valve h is retained in position against its seatf by means of the coiled spring h one end of which rests against the under side of the stem i, while its other end bears centrally on the valve h. The valve it receives motion by means of a crosspiece, h, aflixed on the lower end of the shaft H, the opposite ends of which are operated alternately by means of levers O and P, in a manner similar to that described in the specification of Letters Patent granted to me hearing date the 21st day of January, 1879, and numbered 211,505.

A passage, g, is formed in the side of the chamber G, which leads to the stem J of the subsidiary orsmall permanently-lighted burner J. The aperture in the burner J is kept clear by means of a needle, J which once in every twenty-four hours (and while the main burner is lighted) is thrust upward, so as to clear the aperturej.

The needle J is pivoted at its lower end to an arm on a rocking shaft mounted in bearings in the two plates of the clock-work. This shaft projects through the back plate of the clock-work and carries on its projecting end a corresponding arm, J, which is connected to the upper end of the sliding rod J working in a bearing, J and bearing at its lower end on the surface of a cam, J mounted on the end of a shaft, forming part of the clock-work, which I will call M, and which revolves once in twenty-four hours.

It will be readily seen that so long as the end of the rod J rests against the circular portion of the cam J the needle J will be held away from the aperturej; but as the rod J is raised by the incline of the cam J the needle will be thrust upward, so as to clear the aperturej. The needle is withdrawn from the aperture j by the action of the spring J so soon as the nose or projectionj has passed from under the end of the rod J K is a shield, adapted to prevent the permanent flame of the small burner J from being accidentally extinguished by sudden blasts of air.

The clock-work mechanism M is of a similar character to that described in relation to Figs. 1 and 2 in the specification of Letters Patent granted to me bearing date the 21st day of January, 1879, and numbered 211,505, with the exception that in this case the mainspring operating the clock is wound by means of the screw-wheel D, in place of by a meter-wheel, as described in the aforesaid specification.

When employing the vapor of gasoline or other volatile hydrocarbons I employ a reservoir, L, arranged at the upper part of the lamp and connected with thesupply-pipe B by means of a pipe, 1.

Having thus described my invention, I will have it understood that I do not claim in this application the clock mechanism F, as the same is embraced in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me the 21st day of January, 1879, No. 211,504; nor do I claim the lubricating-box D applied to the shaft D, as the same forms the subject-matter of aclaim in an application for Letters Patent of even date herewith, serial No. 24,510; but

What I do claim is- 1. The combination, with a lamp provided with self lighting and extinguishing mechanism, and having a casing, 0, arms 0, and celltering point or bearing 0, of a screw wheel, D,mounted on a shaft,D, adapted to wind up the clock mechanism, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the burner-tube, of an automatic gas lighting and extinguishing device, of the chamber G, hollow bearingf, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set seat f valve h, and superimposed spring h my hand, at New York city this 20th day of 10 substantially as shown and described. J anuary,1881 in the presence of two subscrib- 3. The combination,wit-h the burner-tube of in g witnesses. an automatic gas lighting and extinguishing GEO. P. GANSTER. device, of the chamber G, hollow bearing f, Witnesses: seatf valve h, and. superimposed spring h EDW. WM. FRANCIS, substantially as shown and described. W. OOLBORNE BROOKES. 

